Marvel's latest film, Thor: Love and Thunder has officially arrived in theaters. This fourth solo outing for the God of Thunder reunites much of the cast from the previous Thor film, Ragnarok, and even brings back his former love interest in Dr. Jane Foster, who receives Thor powers of her own. The overall reaction to the film has been mixed, to say the least.
While some thought it was good fun and a solid summer action spectacle, others have criticized the movie's tone, pacing, and script.
On the other side of the Marvel spectrum are entries like the Spider-Verse series of animated movies from Sony. The 2018 original was tremendously well-received, so much so that two sequels are now deep into production. The Spider-Verse franchise is, of course, a Spider-Man spin-off, and the films are produced by animation masterminds Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
With Love and Thunder's reception being so scattershot, some might wonder if fans are perhaps taking the movie a little too seriously. This is something that Chris Miller apparently agrees with.
Spider-Verse's Miller Responds to Thor Critics
Taking to Twitter, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse co-producer, Christopher Miller, joined the discourse surrounding recent criticism and judgment of Thor: Love and Thunder by posting a reaction meme featuring Reed Richards.. er- Jim Halpert from The Office.
This message was in response to user @Avenjedi’s Tweet, who shared a meme encouraging fans to keep their expectations in check before seeing Thor: Love and Thunder: "Thor: Love and Thunder is a comedy. Don't go in expecting a groundbreaking work of cinema. Just shut your brain off and enjoy the movie for what it is."
Miller borrowed the meme template for his response, which offered a rebuttal to the notion that fans should shut off their brains to enjoy the action-comedy: "Comedies can also be cinematic and groundbreaking and engage your brain so maybe just go see it with an open mind."
What Does the Spider-Verse Producer Mean Exactly?
Too often these days, die-hard fans get caught up in what they think their favorite movies should be. Then, when they finally get to the theater to watch them, and the movies aren't exactly what they're expecting, they're unhappy. So, in that sense, the Twitter user that Miller was responding to had a good point. But Miller raises another excellent notion as well: the importance of keeping an open mind.
It's almost unfair to put films into boxes and say "Well, because Taika Waititi directed this, it's going to have a ton of humor but not a lot of substance" or "This is a comedy, and it's not going to be the most intellectually stimulating time at the movies."
Movies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are good, some are bad, but going into them with fresh eyes and forming a unique opinion on them, rather than reacting based on any preconceived notions, is crucial.
And as for Thor 4, the MCU sequel may not have pleased everyone, but there are probably just as many audience members that had a blast watching it. It's critical to remember that Marvel tries to make these movies for everyone, be it seasoned MCU fans or kids just getting into the franchise. What works in a feature film for one person might have an entirely different impact on another.
Miller's words about comedy movies still having the capacity to be "cinematic and groundbreaking" more than hold water. One needn't look further than his own Into the Spider-Verse, which he produced along with Phil Lord. The film, while very lighthearted in portions and having a comedic tone throughout, is still extremely cinematic in its scope. See the fan-favorite "Leap of Faith" sequence for clear proof of that.
Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder is now playing in theaters.
